Actor Omkar Kapoor, who began his journey in the film industry as a child artist, has shared screen space with some of Bollywood’s biggest legends, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. From being a carefree child on set to restarting his acting journey as an adult, Omkar’s story is filled with memorable moments, warmth, and invaluable learnings. In an exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal, the actor opened up about his early days in cinema, his special memories with the three Khans, and the encouragement he received from Salman Khan while finding his footing again as an actor.
Omkar says being a child actor allowed him to work without pressure and simply enjoy the process, irrespective of the star power around him. “The good part was that because I was a child actor, I didn’t have much pressure. I didn’t follow any acting process, had no stress. I was genuinely just enjoying working and I didn’t really care about who was there in front of me. I didn’t think much about who my co-actor is and if they’re a big star or any new actor. I really didn’t care about that, I just followed the instructions given to me. I used to be very naughty on set and do my scenes while having fun.”
Recalling his fond memories with the three Khans, Omkar shared a special incident from the sets of Chaahat involving Shah Rukh Khan that left a lasting impression on him as a child. “All these legendary actors, the three Khans, they were very sweet and kind to me. I remember there were a lot of sweet moments with them. I was shooting for the film ‘Chaahat’ with Shah Rukh sir and I remember he had just bought a new Pajero car and it had newly launched in India. When he got that car on set one day, I went and saw his car and I was so fascinated to see that car. For any child, a car is a big fascination. He looked at me looking at the car and he just smiled at me and asked, ‘do you wanna go on a drive?’ and I said, ‘yes, I’d love to,’ and then he asked his driver to take me for a drive. I just sat like a happy child and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. So, all these three Khans were very generous, kind, sweet and caring. They never made me feel like they were big superstars. Today when I look back and think about working with such huge stars, I feel extremely lucky. People dream of that and I worked with them at such a young age.”
Talking about Salman Khan’s support, Omkar revealed how the superstar stood by him even when he restarted his career as an adult actor and inspired him creatively. “I’m sure he must be proud. Salman Bhai has always been proud of me. I remember even after my debut in Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, I had gone to meet him and he was very proud of me. He told me it’s good that I’m starting again and getting into my second innings. He advised me to be at it, work hard and maintain my name. He’s been very supportive and kind. In my recent film, I had to play a cop, so I had a discussion with my director on if I can play it in the Chulbul Pandey Dabangg style. So that was my ode and my tribute to Salman Khan for teaching me his kind of cinema and his swag."
